Arriving on Earth - [OPEN]

    What a beautiful place to train, Yasuro thought as he examined his surroundings. The aged warrior had come to the forest surrounding Korin Tower for inspiration for his training. He had, at one point in the day, stood at the foot of the tower looking up. He intended to climb the tower one day, like the warriors of legend have done before him. This day was still far off, however, as the old warrior felt he still needed plenty of training. In fact, he had all the numbers worked out inside of his head; how many hours he would need to train, how many hours of rest, the total cost in zeni for food and water, and at least an estimate of how long it should take him to make it to the top. After doing all this math, Yasuro laughed to himself thinking, I guess old accounting habits die hard.

    The old man had already started his training for the day after getting a good look at the tower. He was already starting to feel the wear from the training as well, and his weighted clothing did not help this much. The weights were simple, just large heavy plates on his chest and upper back, as well as a plate on each shoulder. Each plate was covered in a thick bright blue plastic material that stood out against the white kimono he wore underneath. Smaller black weights were worn around both forearms and both calves. All these weights worked together to make every maneuver and every swing of the sword more difficult for Yasuro, conditioning his body for faster movement and more powerful strikes.

    After about two hours of practicing drawing his sword and striking, Yasuro decided it was time to rest. He found a comfortable spot leaning against a tree, gazing at the sunlight coming through the canopy overhead. "Let's see. First, I train. Then I climb Korin Tower and train some more. Then I learn to fly, and fly up to the look out," he began saying out loud, his breathing heavy from exhaustion, "Then, if the Kami will allow me, I will begin training with them, whoever it may be. Sounds easy enough." The old man took a drink of water to cool himself down before rising back to his feet. Suddenly, the beams of light that were previously shining through unhindered disappear, and the already dark shadows became even darker. Yasuro looked up just in time to see the menacing black ship fly over head.

    Yasuro ran through the forest, trying his best to keep pace with the ship while forgetting to remove his heavy weights. What was that? he thought as weaved his way through the forest, Is it someone hostile? And if it is, what do I think I'm going to do about it? The old man slowed as he approached the ship's landing site. From where he was, though he could see the ship, he could not see much of anything else. Yasuro remembered that he had recently learned the technique to sense the ki of other people. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate, reaching out with his senses. I feel... two... people? They're powerful, at least more powerful than me. Maybe this was a mistake, Yasuro thought, opening his eyes to continue watching the ship.

    Yasuro kept watch from a safe distance as he felt the two move out of the ship. He still could not see much from where he was standing, and questioned whether or not he should try to get a closer look. I've got to get a better look, he thought as he made up his mind. The old man moved closer to the edge of the forest, searching where he felt the ki energy. Then he saw what to him was a rather unexpected sight. The first thing he noticed was a rather tall woman with silver hair and wearing rather revealing blue armor. Yasuro then noticed what appeared to be a child standing next to her. He watched as the two of them conversed for the moment, then the child called out to Yasuro, introducing himself as Houri.

    The old man contemplated his choices for a moment. It was obvious that they already knew he was there, but they didn't seem to be hostile. Yasuro let out a deep sigh and rose from his hiding place. He said nothing until he made it a few meters in front of the two. He bowed and said, "Hello, Houri, my name is Yasuro Yoshumane. I am very sorry if I am intruding upon you. I was here, training, when I saw your craft fly over head. I hide myself because I was unsure of who, or what, could have just landed. You see, Earth has quite the history of being attacked by people from other worlds." Yasuro rose from his bow took this opportunity to take in what he can, visually.

    He could see that the boy named Houri was indeed young, and from his appearance, Yasuro figured he must be a saiyan, which in his eyes would explain why the boy was so powerful. The woman, on the other hand, was something else. While she was not Yasuro's type, he could see that she was quite beautiful. What she was, however, he couldn't quite tell. He did however have some thoughts on what she was wearing. That armor is rather... lewd, he thought, knowing it would be rude to say out loud. "You landed rather close to the tower, and the lookout as well. I am assuming that this is where you were heading?" the curious old man inquired.

    "No, no. You mustn't apologize. I was getting rather tired as it was,. I'm not young anymore, after all. And I made the embarrassing and exhausting mistake of not taking off my training weights before following you spaceship," Yasuro said as he smiled and laughed to himself when he heard the boy make the mistake. "It is fine," he replied to Houri's apology, still smiling. Seeing Houri display such manners made the old man happy, but also made him feel old for being happy at seeing the youth's manners. Both of the visitors to Earth had called Yasuro 'Mr. Yoshumane', something that he enjoyed back in his days as a boring accountant, but as the noble warrior he wished to become, he preferred the simpler 'Yasuro'.

    "Just Yasuro is fine, no need to be so formal. I am honored, as well, to meet you both," Yasuro said, giving another slight bow, "And no, Beau, I am not a warrior. Not yet, at least. I assume you ask because of the sword." He pulled his sword, sheath and all, from his belt and held it out, examining it as he continued to speak. "This sword has been passed down through my family for generations, and has only recently been passed to me. My hope is to use it to bring honor back to my family name. Anyway, that is enough about me. You asked about Korin Tower and the Lookout above it, and I will be happy to tell you what I know." Yasuro put his sword back through his belt as he turned to face the tower.

    Where to begin? he thought as he stared into the distance for a moment, his natural storyteller side taking control. "Yes, the tower. That column you see rising into the sky is known as Korin Tower, named after a legendary hero. At the top is a keep that was once inhabited by a tower guardian, also named Korin. Many would climb to the top of this tower in hopes of obtaining what is known as the 'sacred water', which is said to enhance your power," Yasuro paused for a second to look back at his new acquaintances before continuing, "One legend says that the tower is actually a still living tree, covered in stone plates, and that the tower get bigger every year." Yasuro then glances up high into the sky, squinting as is that would help him see the lookout.

    "Now the Lookout is a very important part of Earth's history, as is the tower. It is the home of the Kami, Earth's guardian. It is also a headquarters of sorts for the warriors that protect Earth. To answer your question, Houri, it is a common misconception that the tower and the Lookout are connected. It is in a sense true, but not in the way most think. You see, legend has it that a young warrior wanted to reach the Lookout from Korin Tower, but like me, he could not fly." Yasuro gave another pause, this time thinking of the long road he has ahead of him. "It's said that he had a magical staff in his possession that could extend, almost infinitely, with a simple command. The young warrior climbed to the very top of the tower and used the magical staff to lift himself all the way up to the Lookout, and in the process, connected the two forever."

    Yasuro could see the interest in the young boy's face, which made him feel proud of his story telling skills, and he could see the boy's excitement when the lad began to levitate off the ground. He listened closely to Houri's questions and replied, "It may be considered common knowledge to some, while others may have never even heard most of it. I began studying these legends for myself as soon as I decided to take up the sword. My family's own history is linked to the Kami, though not the current one. I don't know much about the current Kami, but some say it is a beautiful young women; one with great power. As far as the warriors go... 'Earth Special Forces' is a name I've heard used to describe them."

    Now the Beau had spoken, reminding Yasuro of a detail he had forgotten. "Yes, you are correct, Beau. The truth is, the true increase to one's power comes through the act of climbing the tower. It was said that it took the warrior three days to make it to the top. The sacred water isn't in the tower, but I do still believe it exists. I've heard rumors that it is on the lookout."

    Yasuro watched as Houri put on a small display of his abillities, and couldn't help but feel a little jealous. If only I had started training at his age. Would be nice to have all those years back, the old man thought. "It is true, it is not a common technique for one to learn on Earth, though it is gaining popularity. I would be both grateful and honored to have you teach me how to fly," Yasuro replied, "As far as my ability to focus my ki... I can focus it, to some extent. Mostly I use it to enhance my Iaido. It is a technique that I learned from scrolls that my father left behind. To do it, I must quickly draw my sword and strike in one smooth motion. I do not think my father ever learned to fly, nor is any such technique in any of the scrolls."

    Yasuro removed his sword from his belt once more, this time with his left hand on the sheath and his right hand on the hilt of his sword, the sword out in front of himself. "Speaking of my sword, let me introduce you to my... companion," Yasuro said as he began to slowly draw his blade, "His name is Motatsake, and, like I already mentioned, he has been passed down through the generations. There are legends, told with its passing, that when the previous wielder dies, his soul becomes part of it." The blade shines in the sunlight, showing that it is well taken care of. With the blade now completely drawn, Yasuro holds it high, pointing it into the sky, looking down the back of it with one eye shut. "I'm not one to believe in that kind of thing, but I know that this is true. I... can feel that it is true whenever I wield it."

    The old warrior now lowered his sword and returned the sheath to his belt. As a display of skill, Yasuro spun the sword in his hand, ending the spin with the back of the blade laying against the opening of the sheath. He slid the blade forward, nearly the entire length of the blade sliding over the top of the sheath. When he got to the tip, he moved the hilt up and slid Motatsake back into the sheath. The old man smiled and laughed to himself. What am I doing, trying to show off? I'm sure the two of them have seen much more amazing things. Still I remember how I felt when father would do it, he thought.

     The old man laughed at Houri's enthusiasm about climbing the tower. "Yes, Houri, I do believe you will! What a optimistic young man you are," Yasuro praised the boy for his spirit. That kind of drive was something the he hadn't felt in a long while, and once again, he felt a little jealous of the boy, though his face would not show it. He was more happy than anything, however, feeling he had made two new friends, and was about to receive some much needed training in the process. Yasuro had hope to ascend the tower himself soon, but not until he felt he was ready.

    Houri's response to Yasuro's little demonstration almost made the old man blush. I cannot believe he was impressed by that. It was more show than any actual skill, Yasuro thought. The rest of Houri's response made him think as well. Why haven't I tried to cut down a tree? Yasuro pondered the boy's question. "To be honest, Houri, I've never really tried. I've cut a few straw mannequins in half, but never a tree. Maybe I can soon. It would give me an opportunity to show you my Iaido at the same time," he replied. Yasuro didn't mention that he had doubts that he could do it, however. He was enjoying the apparent admiration he was getting from the vastly more powerful saiyan child.

    Once again Houri demonstrated his ability to use his ki. Yasuro was impressed with the easy in which the child could gather his ki, and the control over it he demonstrated. He watched as the boy projected the ki toward the ground, cutting some of the grass. It reminded the old warrior of some of the training scrolls he received from his father. He recalled images of a warrior swinging his sword and a blade like energy seemed to fly out. Yasuro planned on taking a look at these scrolls again, once he returned to his RV. Houri explained the uses for ki in a way that made Yasuro chuckle a little. The young saiyan began another demonstration and this time it really caught Yasuro's attention.

    Yasuro was caught off guard by the concussion that Houri had sent out by powering up, and was very nearly sent tumbling backwards. The old man's hair whipped about like silver flames in the wind that the young boy was generating. His power just jumped even higher, he thought. Yasuro didn't need to use his ki sense to know that Houri's power had just increased greatly. Just as quickly as it had started, the demonstration had ended, when Beau had returned with something for Houri. He is a child, after all, Yasuro thought when he saw Houri put on his noticeably fake glasses. Houri explained what he had done and how it related to flying. Guess that means it's my turn now the old man thought.

    Yasuro stretched to prepare himself for the task at hand. "I'll do my best," he told Houri before closing his eyes. The warrior began to empty his mind of anything but Houri's words. He did his best to gather his ki, like told, and then surround himself with it. He focused on keeping this going for as long as he could. Starting to feel confident, Yasuro attempted to push his ki bellow him. he felt himself start to slowly lift off the ground, his toes still just barely touching the grass. Is this it? Am I doing this? Yasuro's thoughts began to wander and he felt himself begin to wobble and then fall. The old man couldn't catch himself in time as he fell, rolling backwards and almost back onto his feet. He knew taking his weights off would make thing easier, but he was determined to master flying with them on.

    Without a word, he climbed back to his feet and began again. This time he held his focus longer before trying to lift off of the ground. When he felt ready, he pushed off the ground once more getting a little higher, but again falling and rolling backward. Yasuro got back on his feet even faster this time and began to focus once more. This had continued for a while and Yasuro's determination never faltered. My body will give up before I do, he told himself. The last time he tried, he laid his left hand on the hilt of his sword. His mind cleared of all thoughts, even the boy's instructions. Suddenly he heard Houri's voice calling out to him. Yasuro opened his to see that Beau had once again returned, but this time had brought the two food. This is also when Yasuro realized that he was floating a few feet off the ground.

    This time, Yasuro did fall, but was able to return slowly back to the ground, though he stumbled a bit on his landing. I... I did it, Yasuro happily thought. He approached Houri, dropping his weights to the ground, and said with a smile, "Houri, thank you. You have made this old man very happy. Though I am also very hungry."

When one decides to become a herbalist; they have many options and routes to choose from when it comes to their craft. Anything from location, sunlight, and soil standards could make or break a harvest. It was in Valentine's study of Korin's tower and the gifted who sought power and fame by climbing such a tower that Valentine made a rather lucrative discovery. The lands that surrounded Korin's tower were extremely fertile.

After spending sometime in the area and planting some of his product; Valentine discovered it nearly halved his gestation and growth periods. With this in mind, Valentine intended to build a new base of operations out here as he imagined his profit margins only increasing by utilizing the nearby lands. However, Valentine also needed to be careful and quiet about his involvement within the area; less other dealers or potentially stronger warriors attempt to annex his land for themselves.

As the driver of his hover-van expertly weaved between and around trees to avoid crashing; Valentine laid in the back with his product soundly asleep. Even with hover technology thanks to the need for discretion and safety; it had taken them several hours to drive out to Korin's tower.

A loud chirp rang into Valentines ear and with a groan of irritation; Valentine slowly woke up to check his phone. It was one of his main distributors asking him when he'd be free for him to pick up some more supply. Valentine managed to text him that some more product was en-route already before passing back out into the land of dreams. Merely a few moments later, the hover van would began to swerve and ultimately crash into a tree waking Valentine up violently.

As Valentine struggled to fight off his sleep fatigue; he heard his driver hop out of the van and scream. "I do not get paid enough for this! It's an attack!" This was enough to send the blood and fresh adrenaline pumping through Valentines veins like molten lava; it brought clarity to his thoughts and actions. Sitting up, Valentine grabbed his shirt before making his way out of the back of the truck to look around as a giant black ship seemed to loom overhead completely eclipsing them and the sun for the moment.

As the ship flew overhead bringing in large gusts of winds through the forest; the smell of pine and his product threatened to overwhelm his senses completely. However, nothing could even seem to bypass the fact that the Earth was surely being invaded by an alien overlord and Valentine couldn't help but note how terrible this would be for business. Finally, the idea would strike that maybe the alien overlord would need his product as well thus making his at least somewhat valuable, at least he hoped.

Still, Valentine couldn't do much more than hope that the 'heroes' would soon fly in and take care of this problem. However, Valentine was now out of a driver and would be forced to salvage the hover-van as well as pilot it himself. This forced Valentine to feel a rather large sense of anger momentarily as Valentine prided himself on his laid back at ease persona. Now not only was Valentine forced to actually work today but now his curiosity was beginning to override his common sense. So without much of a counter argument; Valentine locked the hover-van before beginning his trek to follow the descending ship.

As he continued on the path that the rather large ship made easy to follow; he began to note sounds of other lifeforms though his mind could have tricked him. However, as the ship landed; Valentine did his best to hide behind a nearby tree to listen in on what the 'alien overlord' wanted as it became apparent that the overlord had found someone willing to speak with him. It wasn't until about halfway into their conversation that Valentine began to suspect that maybe these visitors weren't here to take over. Curiosity and a brief bout of optimism allowed Valentine to step from behind the tree.

"Hello. So it seems as if you guys are pretty stand up people when compared to your typical 'alien overlord'." As he said this, Valentine's tail swished back and forth as an obvious signal of how nervous he was internally.

Houri could not help but to listen with great interest as the elder man gave him sound advice and wise points of view, and in fact; he did agree with him about making everything not to lose his kindness. He knew that deep down he would not change, if he had not changed before over the things he had been thru, he would not change now. However when he heard about the way Yasuro meet them, he could not help but to laugh has he reminisced at his own past due to the events that happened in a very similar yet different way. After a mouthful of meat, Houri said.

- Life is a funny thing Yasuro, with these kinds of meetings then, sheesh I have a story to tell you about things like that! I am an orphan, I did not knew my mom or my father and my foster mother passed away when I was six, so, to cut to the chase, I grew up in the wastelands of my planet, hunting, fighting, scavenging and doing everything I could to survive. It was a tough life and showering, eating hot food and sleeping with some degree of comfort were things that I could only dream. The thing is, one day I was training in the wastelands when one of my ki blasts almost ripped of the arm of the man responsible for the change I had in my life. Not only he did save me from a life of misery but he gave me all I needed to start with my life, clothes, armor, education, acknowledgment. If weren’t for him, I do not know what would have happened to me.

- So I have to tell you, sometimes, these meetings can be life changing, you just need to know how to look and at them. For you to understand a bit better, this friend of mine, helped me with everything, even with this ship.


Upon hearing his plans, both Beau and Houri smiled, the kid wondered about his pledge, how that would work and even questioned how he wished to bind his freedom to the kami in order to gain honor. meanwhile, Beau had he own point of view to share, in a more collected way and with a more disrupted attention, after all, she had with her electricity sensing ability, felt another approaching life form.


- Well, if I may add, I think you should not pledge your sword, a bound sword cuts just in a single way, the Kami might change, her personality and point of view, things might go different from your ideals at some point, so, if I can make a suggestion. Make a pledge to yourself, to protect this land, the people who live here and those who cannot protect themselves that is the most important.

- Besides you will be serving the Kami by doing it and getting stronger at the same time. The best pledge you can make is the one to your own freedom. –


While Houri exposed his words to Yasuro, he could not help but to notice Beau, that while tense, pointed out to the man coming close to their camp,

- We are not alone anymore Master.

To his surprise, not only the visitor was calm and collected about them, and the ship, or at least It seemed, he was also a Saiyan, and despite the tail showing clear signs that Houri was a bit mistaken, it was impossible to hide his excitement to see someone from his own race at Earth.

- I can’t believe it! Another Saiyan? Here! OH WOW I was not expecting this, please, come on closer, it is nice to see another Saiyan around, are you a local? Please, by all means, join us!